Snap hook and method of assembling the same



F. E. SCHARTOW.

SNAPHOOK AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. 1921.

1,406,419, Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

anvewtoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. SCI-IARTOW, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

SNAP HOOK AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. Scimnrow, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snap Hooks and Methods of Assembling the Same; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved snaphook andhasspecial reference to an improved method of assembling the latch portion with the hook portion thereof.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved method of assemblage whereby the latch may be placed'in pivotal connection with the hook and then moved into position for engagement by the bill of the hook, the pivotal connection needing no adjustment after assemblage.

' Another object of the invention to produce an improved method of assemblage whereby the hook portion may be formed in a single piece and the latch portion also formed in a single piece which can be easily put inplace but which will be held against removal after being put in place, and swung downwardly toward the shank ot the hook so thatthe bill portion which has previously beenturned to one side may be swung back into itsnorinal position to engage the latch.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the snap-hook that it may be read- -1ly assembledin the improvedmanner and to further so construct it that when the latch and hook are'assembled, the latch will be prevented from having transverse rocking vmovementaml further be held against slid- "ing movement transversely of the shank portion ofthe hook.

This invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

F igure 1 is a top plan view of the improved hook.

Figure 2 is a side shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figured is a top plan view of the hook portion with the latch removed.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of F 2.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the latch re moved from thehook.

elevation 'of the hook Specification of Letters Patent. Patented F31 14, 1922. Application filed March 10, 1321.

Serial No. 451,132.

A snap-hook which may be assembled in the improved manner has been disclosed in the accompanying drawings and this hook is provided with a hook element and a latch element. The hook element is provided with a. shank 1 having at its forward end a hill 2 and at its rear end provioed with a cross head in the form of an eye 3 which extends upon opposite sides of the shank 1. eye 3 is rigid with the shank l and from an inspection of Fig. 3 it will be seen that the rear end portion l of the shank is thickened. From an inspection of Figs. 1 and 4, it will be further seen that from the shank to the side bars 5 of the eye, the cross-head tapers outwardly so that a bearing seat 6 may be formed with its intermediate portion in the form of a circular passage through the enlarged rear end portion l of the shank 1 and its end portions in the form of grooves-or recesses in the side portions of the cross- This head; It will be further noted'fthat the shank prevent the latch from having movement transversely of the hook a sufficient distance to permit the free end of the latch to pass from beneath the bill of the book. This latch is also provided with rearwardly extending heels 9 between which extend a pivot bar 10 of the proper size to'fit easily in the bearing seat. This bearing bar 10 and the heels 9 have a diameter which will notpermit them to be drawn out through the slot which communicates with the passage in the shank of the hook but the neck portions '11 of these heels 9'are reduced enough to permit of their passage through the slot.

When assembling the hook and latch, the hill. 2 will first be turned so that it will extend to one side as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the hook being of course seated to perbearing bar may be slid longitudinally or pivoted connection.

the seat until the latch in position to straddle the shank of the hook when swung down toward the shank. As soon as the latch reaches the position above the shank,

shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and engage the "free end of the latch thus limiting the swinging movement of the latch in a direction away from the shank. lVhen in this position the side wings prevent the latch from having movement transversely of the shank or in other words longitudinally of the bearing seat 6 and therefore the latch will be securely held in engagement with the hook butat the same time will be permitted to have the proper pivotal movementcustomary in the latch of asnaphook. It should be noted that by having the latch andhookconstructed as shown, the side portions of the latch extend upon opposite sides of the shank and since the bearing bar 10 extends between the side portions of the latch, a relatively long bearing bar has been provided which has a snug fit in the bearing seat and therefore will serve not only to pivotally mount the latch but will also serve to prevent the latch from having transverse play or rocking movement.

It will be seen that the method of assembling the hook and latch element consists briefly in moving one with respect to the other, preferably by a transverse sliding movement, into an interlocked. pivoted engagement, then moving one part relative to the other in a different direction or motion-, as by the swinging movement of the latch, into a further or double interlocked pivoted relation so that the pivot cannot slide out oilfiits bearing seat, and then bending one part, preferably the bill of the hook, to retain the parts in their double interlocked By this method there will be'provided a hook in which the pivot bar of the latch will be rotatably mounted in the seatof the hook and there will be no danger of breakage as the pivot bar is not gripped by a tongue which is rolled into engagement with it.

Where a tongue is rolled into operative ennecessarily weakened and further cannot gagement with a pivot bar the tongue is ;-have as good a grip uponthe pivot bar as in the structure shownor be ofthe relatively heavy and rigid construction shown. It will be furtherfnoted that by this construction spaced relation transversely extending passage f0rm1ng- 9.

there can be provided a hearing which will be relatively long and prevent transverse rocking oi the latch and also that a hook will be produced, the elements of which can be made by casting and do not require Inaehine work when being assembled.

I claim:

1. Aniethod of. assembling a hook element having a shank provided at one end with a bill and at its otherend with a hearing seat extending transversely of the shank for holding the latch against sliding movement transversely oi. the other when assembled, said method comprising sliding the v pivot portion of the latch transversely of the shank into the seat with the latch raised away from the shank and the bill of the hook extending to one side of the shank, then swinging the latch down toward the shank. to bring said means into position for holding the latch against sliding movement, and then bending the bill to its normal position above the shank to engage the latch and limit pivotal movementof the latch away from the shank.

2. A snaphook comprising ahook having a shank providedwi th a bill and in to'the bill provided with a,

pivot seat open at one side ofth'e shank, the shank being further provided'with a 'slot extending longitudinally 7 ing with the seat and of less width than the of and communicatdiameter of the seat, and a latch having side 4 arms and a pivot rod extending between and carried by said side arms the pivot rod being of a diameter to fit into said. seat and the arms adjacent the rod being o'f a width to pass or the rod longitudinally into the seat to pivotally mount the latch with the shank positioned between the side arms lneansvfor holding the latch against sliding movement longitudinally of the pivotrod when swung down into position for engagement by the bill of the hook, and resilient means yield ably holding the latch in engagementiwith said bill.

through the slot and permit sliding 3. A snap hook-comprising a hookportioii 5' having a shank and a cross head at the rear end of the shank, the shank having a transversely extending passage at itsfjunction with the cross head, the passagebeing open at one side of the shank and having a reduced slot extension through the up r face of the cross head, alatchhavinga plvot bar passed longitudinally into the passage to pivotally connect the latch vwiththe shank of the hook said pivot bar and extending upon opposite and having side arms carrying sides of the shank and provided With extensions for engaging the shank and holding the latch against sliding movement transversely of the shank When 'pivotally connected therewith and engaged by the bill of the hook, and resilient means yieldably holding the latch in engagement with the bill of the hook.

A snap hook comprising a hook portion provided with a shank, an article-engaging eye including a forward bar carried by and extending beyond the sides of said shank, said forward bar having a bearing seat provided in its front face and extending transversely through the shank and having one end portion extending to the end of the forward bar, a latch portion having a channel structure to straddle the shank and hold the latch against sliding movement transversely of the shank when in place, and also having a transversely extending pivot bar positioned in the nearing seat and pivotally mounting the lat-ch and holding the latch against transverse. rocking movement, and spring means for normally holding the free end of the latch against the bill of the hook.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK E SCHARTOW. 

